Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies said on Wednesday they have uncovered a vote-buying scheme allegedly led by the head of a parliamentary faction, accusing the lawmaker of attempting to establish a long-term system of illicit payments in exchange for voting loyalty.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) said in a statement published on Telegram that the leader of one of the factions in Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, had been notified of suspicion over corruption allegations.
"The head of the parliamentary faction was informed of suspicion," the statement said.
The agencies did not name the suspect. However, NABU included an emoji of a blond woman in its post. The only female leader of a parliamentary faction with blond hair is Yulia Tymoshenko, who heads the Batkivshchyna party faction.
"According to the investigation, after the exposure by NABU and SAP in December 2024 of facts regarding Ukrainian members of parliament (MPs) receiving unlawful benefits for adopting decisions on draft laws in parliament, the suspect initiated negotiations with certain MPs regarding the establishment of a systematic mechanism for providing unlawful benefits in exchange for loyal behavior during voting," the NABU statement read.
The agency said the case does not concern isolated incidents.
"It was not about one-off agreements, but about a regular cooperation mechanism involving advance payments and designed for a long-term period," it said.
"MPs were to receive instructions on how to vote, and in some cases -- on abstaining or not participating in the voting," it added.
Tymoshenko confirmed that searches were carried out at the Batkivshchyna party office, saying on her Facebook page that the operations continued throughout the night.
She said the investigative actions have "nothing to do with law and justice."
Tymoshenko rejected the accusations, calling them "politically motivated."
Last year, NABU and SAP's investigations led to the dismissal of a number of top Ukrainian officials, including then-head of the presidential administration Andriy Yermak.
A crackdown on corruption is critical if Ukraine hopes to advance its application to join the 27-member European Union, which formally opened accession negotiations with Kyiv in June 2024.
While Ukrainian authorities point to high-profile investigations as evidence of progress, critics say corruption remains widespread and that the war with Russia has diverted attention from systemic reform.
